African governments’ failure attributed to researchers

Emeritus Professor Kwame A. Ninsin of the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, has attributed the failure of African governments to the inability of researchers to research into developmental issues of national interest.

He, however, blamed African governments for failing to provide adequate resources and funding for researchers to enhance their work.

“African governments are the cause of the inability of researchers to perform their duties to serve as a guide in the formulation of policies to promote socio-economic development,” he said.

Prof Ninsin said this during the inauguration ceremony of the Ghana Political Science Association, which was organised by the Department.

He said African researchers had failed to meet international standards due to the lack of support from various policy makers, and urged the governments to support them with the requisite funding to enhance their performance.

“Our research system needs to be recalibrated into mainstream human development for the state to pursue policies that would improve the lives of its citizenry.

“We should maintain a high degree of autonomy and promote justice, liberty, equality, and the dignity of the country,” he said.

He said issues that promoted national development such as justice and injustice, inequality, lack of access to public goods, food production and security, child health, poverty, and child-adult welfare were those researchers could explore.

Prof. Joseph Atsu Aryee, also of the Political Science Department, chaired the function, which was on the theme; “Political Science Research and the Quest for Ghana’s Democratic Development.”

He said in the quest for development, foreign aid bodies dictated to African leaders and influenced their policies and developmental content.

He said that had, therefore, led to the struggle and wallowing of Africans in poverty, and called for the Continent to strengthen its democracy and establish structures that would gradually make it self-reliant.

He advised political science students to take research seriously as that would positively affect the lives of the ordinary citizens and promote sustainable democracy.